Breakfast Egg Sandwich

Today I'm bringing you a breakfast sandwich that one of my very-favorite-people-in-the-whole-world, my Grandma, used to make for me when I was younger.  It's an egg muffin and whenever I make it, I always think of her.  It reminds me that sharing food is sharing love and my Grandma is exceptional at that.

I use a 100% whole wheat muffin, extra lean turkey ham, 2% American cheese and one real egg (but you can use egg whites if you prefer).  Simply fry the egg and a slice of turkey ham with Pam cooking spray, toast the muffin, and top with a slice of cheese.  

Below is the nutrition information.  

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Sidelined

I recently mentioned that an injury was plaguing me and, unfortunately, it hasn't gotten any better.  It's my right hamstring or maybe some kind of sciatic nerve pain from being tied to my desk??  Although I have been working out hard the last 8 weeks, I don't think I overtrained.  I'm careful to lift heavy, but not heavier than I can bear.

I'm disappointed because I only had 4 weeks to go on the Live Fit Trainer, but I can't complete it in my current condition.  The last phase calls for active rests between sets (burpees, jumps, sprints, jumprope) and I don't think those are a good idea for me right now.  

On the up side, I had actually already gotten more lean in the 8 weeks than I had anticipated and I'm not sure I really wanted to get any leaner.  

To maintain my sanity, I'll continue working out, but focus on upper body and maybe just walking.  If the pain persists, I will visit a doctor.  Hopefully, it's not that serious and will go away on its own soon.  

On my blog, I'll continue to bring you fitness advice, food ideas and recipes, and more help to keep you motivated.  Let's finish the year strong!  I'm super excited for the holidays and I want to post healthy food alternatives in addition to some of my favorite splurges!  Thanks for all of you support and encouragement.  

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Don't let that be you! :)

Salad (Fruit, Nut, Cheese)

Hi friends!  It's good to be back:)  Over the weekend we went to my son's school Fall Festival and had a great time.  He is at that absolutely delightful age of 2 1/2 and I cannot get enough of him!  Just look at those cute cheeks and squishy little arms and hands!

The problem with the festival was each parent had to bring a dessert, so I made chocolate covered toffee, and then I couldn't stop eating it!  This stuff is seriously addicting.  Now, I'm craving a detox and think I need to incorporate a few salads into my meals this week.

One of my favorite combinations of salad is fruit, nut and cheese.  The salad below is a combination of Romaine and butter lettuce, apricots, walnuts, and goat cheese.  I drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that's it!  Super fast and easy.  Add grilled chicken for extra protein.

Of course, you can use whatever lettuce you prefer, then switch up the ingredients with various kinds of nuts (like almond slices or pecans), fruit (peaches/cranberries), and cheese (parmesan shards, feta).  Enjoy!

p.s.  If you want the toffee recipe, go HERE.

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You Can Do It!

Hi guys!  An injury has sidelined me for a bit.  Hope to be back soon!

In the meantime . . . 

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My Live Fit (WEEK 8) Recap- Counting Calories

So this week (I just finished Week 8 of 12) on the Live Fit Program, we were supposed to count calories.  I used the formula below to determine I should be eating around 1,230 to 1,530 calories per day, depending on my activity.

I found this super cool website, My Fitness Pal that calculates calories for you.  You just type in your ingredients (they have a drop down list for you to choose from down to specific brands) and it calculates the calories, carbs, fat, and protein grams for you.  Here's what 1606 calories a day looks like for me when I'm eating:

Meal 1:  Protein pancakes with peanut butter and syrup + coffee and creamer

Snack:  Two protein brownies -- I don't think the brownies are in there, so my calories are about 100 higher than the My Fitness Pal totals (totaling 1606)

Meal 2:  "Tex Mex" -- I had to add it twice under the "lunch" category

Meal 3:  "Tex Mex"

Meal 4:  Protein shake (after workout)

Meal 5:  Egg White omelet

Those calories add up fast, and with My Fitness Pal, I was able to see how every calorie counts - my coffee creamer alone has 100 calories!

I completely blew the calories this weekend though.  I indulged in cheeseburger, fries, and a beer on Friday, crab cake egg benedict on Saturday at brunch, pizza on Saturday night, and Sunday for lunch.  Also, I had wine on Sunday- but just one glass.  

I'll be back tomorrow sharing my latest photo and workout sheets.  

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Healthy Shepherd's Pie (via The Chronicles of Home)

Happy Friday all!  I hope you have some good weekend plans- I know I'm ready for it!  My friend Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home is back with a wonderful fall/winter recipe for you.  She made over Shepherd's Pie to make it more healthy, without sacrificing any flavor.  Since I've been eating pretty much the same thing over and over, I'm really looking forward to cooking some delicious good-for-you food.   I've got my eye on you Thanksgiving! . . . 

Be honest…do you think I've lost my mind putting "healthy" and "shepherd's pie" in the same sentence?  I promise you, I am still sane!

This shepherd's pie is thick, richly-flavored, meaty, and fits snugly into the "comfort food" category but is also loaded with healthy vegetables.  The typical butter and cream laced potato topping is swapped for a parsnip, potato, and butternut squash puree made rich with just one tablespoon of butter and kept smooth and creamy by using some of the cooking water.  

Instead of the traditional lamb I use beef here, and this is my secret to keeping the dish both healthy and doable for a weeknight.  Whenever I cook a chuck roast, I make sure I save about a pound of the leftover meat.  To cook the chuck, I place it in a Dutch oven with red wine and water covering the meat about 3/4 of the way. 

I roast it, covered, in the oven for about 4 hours, until the meat shreds apart.  I carefully go through the meat with a couple of butter knives, shredding it all and removing any visible fat.  Then I set aside about a pound of the shredded, de-fatted meat and freeze it until I'm ready to make shepherd's pie.

The taste is everything you might want from a shepherd's pie but you can put that indulgence guilt away for another time and eat happily with the knowledge that you are putting a cornucopia of healthy things into your body.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 c. peeled and chopped carrots (about 3 medium)

1 c. chopped celery (about 2 large stalks)

14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

14 oz. can chicken broth

14 oz. can beef broth

large bunch Swiss chard, center stems removed, chopped

1 tbsp. flour

1 lb. cooked, shredded beef from a chuck roast

Topping:

1 c. peeled parsnips, cut into chunks

2 c. peeled potatoes, cut into chunks

2 c. peeled butternut squash, cut into chunks

1 tbsp. butter

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute 5 minutes.  Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme.  Saute until partially tender then add broths and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in Swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.  

Put the flour in a small bowl, scoop a bit of the hot broth into the bowl, and whisk until smooth.  Add to the pot and stir in the beef.  Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

While the filling is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add parsnips and cook 2 minutes.  Add potatoes and squash and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes longer.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Return vegetables to the pot and use a hand mixer to puree the vegetables with the butter.  Add reserved cooking liquid a bit at a time until everything is smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Pour the filling into a rectangular baking dish.  Spread the warm topping over and bake until the filling bubbles at edges and the topping begins to brown, about 30 minutes.  Let cool slightly and serve.

Thank you Jennifer!

How I Wake Up Early to Workout

Are any of you getting enough sleep?

I'm definitely a girl who needs her 8 hours and could easily sleep in on the weekend (and take a nap too) if given the opportunity.  I'm realizing that, in order to get all my workouts in, some days I have to exercise before work.  Which means waking up around 5:00 to 5:15 a.m.  UG!  Not being a morning person, I can say opening my eyes at the crack of dawn is not fun.  But once I get going, I feel so great that I got up and got it done!

Here are my tips for waking up early and getting out the door. 

First and foremost, DECIDE before you get to bed, that you are waking up early and pick the appropriate time.   Think about why you are getting up early and what you want to accomplish.  I know I'm going to feel so bad if I plan to get up early to work out, but miss it because I slept too late to do it.  

1.  When my alarm goes off, I sit up and get my feet onto the floor.  If I don't do this QUICK, I'm likely to talk myself out of getting out of bed.  I literally get up the second the alarm goes off and get moving before I have time to think how cozy it is in the bed.  Don't think "cozy," think "Get up NOW!"  And don't hit snooze!

2.  Have coffee set to brew.  This is critical for me.  Knowing that my coffee is ready and waiting for me helps get me downstairs.  I pour mine into a thermos and drink it on the way to the gym.

3.   Get everything prepared the night before (gym clothes laid out, breakfast ready to go, water bottle filled).

4.  I've been eating oatmeal (with raisins, cinnamon, and almond slices topped with skim milk) which cooks in one minute in the microwave, before I head out since I can't workout on an empty stomach.  

Having my workout over and done with for the day first thing is really rewarding.  And it frees the rest of the day for whatever else you have planned.

Now that I've had a few morning workouts, I realize I actually enjoy that quiet alone time.  Knowing that my son is soundly sleeping and I'm not interrupting his routine to get my workout in is great.

I will probably continue mixing it up, working out a couple mornings, couple evenings and on Saturday.

Are you a morning exerciser?  

How do you make yourself wake up early?